Snake news, features and articles

From the deadliest snakes such as black mambas and king cobras to the biggest snakes such as giant pythons and anacondas, Earth's serpents have a habit of slithering into our consciousness and instilling fear or fascination. We're driven by the latter here at Live Science, and that's why our expert writers and editors bring you strange snake stories, engaging facts about brown snakes and cottonmouth snakes, and more through our latest snake news, articles and features.
Discover more about snakes
—Snakes: Facts about one of the most iconic creatures is animal hiss-tory
Latest about Snakes

Scientists could soon create a 'universal antivenom.' But would it save lives?
By Payal Dhar published
A recent study hints that we could make a universal antivenom for snakebites, but some scientists say we need something else instead.

Cold snap in Florida made Burmese python puke up a whole deer
By K.R. Callaway published
Difficulty digesting large meals may limit where these temperature-sensitive snakes can call home — and that might be a good thing in places where they're invasive.

Scientists discover Burmese pythons have never-before-seen cells that help them digest entire skeletons
By Skyler Ware published
Specialized cells in the intestinal lining of Burmese pythons allows them to completely absorb the skeletons of their prey.

Florida bobcat bites the head off of 13-foot Burmese python in the Everglades
By Skyler Ware published
Wildlife experts believe that predators native to the Everglades are beginning to fight back against the invasive species of snake.

'An up-tempo version of Darwinian evolution': How a mega freeze in Florida may have caused Burmese pythons to evolve at a blindingly fast speed
By Stephen S. Hall published
"The 2010 cold snap may have created a subset of pythons better able to survive cold temperatures — and thus better adapted to spread beyond the northern boundaries of its current range."

Why do snakes shed their skin?
By Emma Bryce published
It's a story that involves scales, sloughs — and spectacles.

Snake quiz: Let's ssseee what you know about these slithering reptiles
By Sascha Pare published
Quiz Test your knowledge of the secrets of snakes in this quiz.

Venomous snake with 3 fangs may be the 'most dangerous death adder in the world'
By Jess Thomson published
A death adder at an Australian wildlife park found to have three fangs that all produce deadly neurotoxic venom.
Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox.